A spokesman for former Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued a statement in response to a subpoena issued by Congress that requires him to testify in relation to COVID-19 nursing home policies.
The spokesman, Rich Azzopardi, criticized Congress and called it a "circus" that was filled with "clowns" in a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday. He added that the former governor's counsel provided dates two weeks ago for an interview and even offered to have any questions answered in writing prior to.
Andrew Cuomo Testimony
On Tuesday, the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic announced that it subpoenaed Cuomo. It was to have him testify on May 24 in relation to COVID-19 policies and nursing homes. In 2020, Cuomo was under fire after ordering nursing homes to accept recovering COVID-19 patients. Critics argued that the decision fueled the deaths during the health crisis, as per Fox News.
The Republican-led subcommittee is accusing the former New York governor of "recklessly" exposing nursing home residents to the coronavirus. The chairman, Rep. Brad Wenstrup of Ohio, wrote a letter and sent it to Cuomo on Tuesday.
In it, he said that there was "troubling" evidence that suggests the Cuomo administration at best downplayed the effects of its policies and at worst covered them up. The subpoena is the latest development in a years-long issue surrounding the former New York governor's decision to require nursing homes to accept COVID-19 patients.
Officials argue that the decision led to thousands of deaths and has drawn widespread scrutiny, ranging from state to federal investigators. New York State Attorney General Letitia James concluded in January 2021 that the state had "severely" undercounted the deaths in the nursing homes.
These were charges that were validated when the state later worked to revise its figures upward by some 40%. However, while the attorney general's office's report found that returning residents to their facilities may have placed others at risk, it did not directly blame the former governor's policy for the nursing home outbreaks of COVID-19, according to the New York Times.
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Nursing Home Deaths
On the other hand, the Democratic lawmaker has repeatedly denied that the policies led to the additional deaths. A Cuomo spokesman called the subpoena an "obvious press charade," adding that the claims at issue have already been investigated by both the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Manhattan district attorney's office.
Azzopardi noted that both of the agencies declined to bring criminal charges against the Democrat. He added that the subpoena is simply an "election-year stunt" to show voters that they are doing something.
Additionally, the issue has been investigated by the State Assembly Judiciary Committee, which launched an inquiry into the former New York governor's handling of the coronavirus and nursing homes. It also looked into the various allegations of sexual harassment that would later force Cuomo's resignation.
Azzopardi argued that Ukrainian soldiers are throwing stones at Russian tanks because the United States has not sent sufficient ammunition. He accused Congress of playing politics with COVID and weaponizing people's pain and loss of their loved ones, said CBS News.
